United will watch stars in qualifiers

Nov 15 2007 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

NEWCASTLE United will send scouts to watch Russian international Andrei Arshavin and Israel centre-back Tal Ben-Haim in their vital Euro 2008 qualifier in Tel Aviv at the weekend as Sam Allardyce considers making bids for both in the January transfer window.

The Magpies have already been linked with a move for Arshavin, who is a versatile attacking midfielder with Zenith St Petersburg, but the interest in Ben-Haim is more surprising considering the defender turned down a move to Newcastle in the summer in favour of a switch to Chelsea.

Ben Haim worked with Allardyce at Bolton Wanderers and United’s manager had hoped his good personal relationship with the 25-year-old would persuade him to turn down the London club following the expiry of his contract at the Reebok Stadium.

That hope proved to be a false one, but Allardyce is aware of the fact the manager who signed Ben-Haim, Jose Mourinho, has been sacked and the player is not guaranteed first-team football at Stamford Bridge.

It remains to be seen whether Mourinho’s replacement Avram Grant is willing to sell a squad player in the middle of the season, but Arshavin, 26, should be available for around £7m in January.

Allardyce will look to strengthen in every department when the transfer window re-opens, with Shola Ameobi, as revealed in the Journal last week, expected to leave the club as Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough compete for his signature.

Newcastle have also been credited with an interest in Liverpool striker Peter Crouch, as well as Bolton’s French international forward Nicolas Anelka. Allardyce is also on the look-out for a creative midfielder and a versatile defender.

However, his first signing as Newcastle manager, Joey Barton, is merely concentrating on trying to show why the club invested £5.8m to sign him from Manchester City in the summer.

Barton has only managed three competitive games for the Magpies so far this season because of a broken foot and the 25-year-old knows he has not been at his best in a Newcastle shirt. He explained: “I do not think I am fit at the minute. Some people have got a couple of days off over the weekend, but I will be in and doing a bit extra.

“I definitely do not feel 100% – as a matter of fact, I feel far from it, and it is important for me to get back to that level and then I can start to stamp my authority on this team and on this football club.

“At the minute, I just need to get fit and this is a good opportunity for me now to do it. It is just the final touches now, just the match sharpness and a little bit of explosiveness. Hopefully once I get that, I will be back to somewhere near my best.”

The midfielder also gave an honest appraisal of Newcastle’s campaign so far as he admitted the Magpies should have beaten Sunderland at the Stadium of Light rather than be thankful for a draw.

He added: “We have been lucky up to now, but that has to stop. You cannot really put your finger on why. Everyone is soul-searching to try to find out.

“With all due respect to Sunderland, when you look at the two team sheets, we should be blowing them out of the water.

“For some reason, that is not happening at the minute. But everyone is looking at themselves and at what they can add to it and hopefully, it starts happening sooner rather than later.”

Meanwhile, United right-back Stephen Carr has decided to retire from international football as he believes the Republic of Ireland need to concentrate on the future.

The 31-year-old has been capped 44 times since making his debut eight years ago and was only persuaded to come out of retirement by former manager Steve Staunton earlier this year.

Carr, who has recovered from a hamstring injury and should be available for selection to face Liverpool at St James’s Park next week, said: “I feel honoured to have represented the Republic of Ireland on 44 occasions and have enjoyed my international career.

“It’s a chance now for the FAI to re-build for the future. There are many good young players that are coming out of Ireland that should get the opportunity now.”